


Sumi-e

by paburke



Series: Kintsugi [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: But they aren't even friends yet, Gen, Marriage of Convenience, Sabé is trying to keep the PTSD Jedi from screwing up her god-children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 15:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16200479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paburke/pseuds/paburke
Summary: Corellia is the first stop for the newlyweds.  Of course, nothing goes according to plan.  Sabé blames the Force, little of it that she understands.  Ben knows better; he blames Yoda.





	Sumi-e

**Author's Note:**

> (The Solo movie never happened)

-owk->bt-

Sabé knew that Ben was unhappy with the stop at Corellia.  Their shoulders brushed with how close they were walking.  Ben was stiff and the air around him fairly buzzed with the Force, presumably.  Luke was quiet in his arms, but not the content quiet Sabé had become accustom.  The first two stops were banks and processed normally.  On the walk to the Sabé’s favorite Coronet market, a boy bumped into them.

“Han.  Han!  Get back here,” a woman shouted.

Ben shifted Luke to one arm and grabbed the boy that tried to dodge him.  He blinked at Sabé, as if he expected her to share in whatever revelation he had, and slowly looked down at the child in his grasp.  Sabé could almost see him shrug, but then he turned around to deliver Han to his mother. 

“Oh thank you, sir.”

“No problem,” Ben answered, with the Core accent he had previously dropped.

Behind them two swoop bikes crashed in the street.

The woman blanched at how close the accident was. 

“Yes, Lady Solo, that was supposed to be your death,” Ben said.  “A change in address would be advised.”

Her eyes sharpened.  She looked him up and down and somehow _believed_. 

“Who’re you?” the boy demanded.

“Someone you will see again, Han.”

The boy was skeptical.  “Really?”

“It will be a long time from now.”

“Eh.”  Now he was unconcerned. 

“Enjoy your life as a pilot, Han, and the Wookies.”

Han grinned.  He liked that pronouncement. 

Ben bowed at the lady.  “Good luck.”

She bowed back, her hand tight around Han’s arm.  “You as well.” 

Ben nodded and they parted ways.  Sabé was just glad no one had overheard the conversation.  “Why did you risk that?” she whispered near his ear.  She smiled coyly at him in case they were being observed.

Ben thought about answering, and how, finally he murmured, “Leia’s husband.”

“ _Han?_ ”

“Or he would have been if I had let his mother be killed in that accident.  His father would have followed within twenty-four hours.  The change was made the second I caught Han.”

“Maybe I should give her a holo-number to keep in touch.”

“No.  We can’t make the future happen.  I can only know what would have happened if we were not here.”

“Do you know her name?”

“Jaina Solo.”

“I’ll tell the others to keep an ear out.”

“It’s out of our control.”

Jedi.  That’s what he thought.

“One cannot force a future, Sabé,” Ben warned, “One can only avoid certain futures.  It’s taken the Jedi a millennium to come to this solid conclusion.  The Archive was filled with journals of those who attempted otherwise and they all failed.”

Sabé found that depressing.  So many failures cumulating in their own destruction.  The Jedi didn’t see Sidious scheming right in front of them.  The guardians of the Republic were blindsided by the Sith.  No one clued into the man’s evil.

“Focus on the present,” Ben whispered in her ear.  Sabé had a feeling he chanted the phrase to himself just to endure.

Sabé took stock of the current situation, the family group was between two fabric shops, a jewelry shop and two food sellers when Ben stiffened even more.  “That.  Damn.  Troll,” he hissed.  He handed Luke to her and stalked to the red-headed food seller and his pint-sized customers.  A young, human teen was carrying a completely robed-wrapped child and two more robed children followed behind.  The teen seemed to be negotiating for meals, and the second food seller was too interested in the transaction.  Sabé didn’t know what had grabbed Ben’s attention until she spotted the clothing underneath the robes.  Though they had tried to disguise their uniforms, they were obviously young Jedi, who had somehow escaped the massacre at the temple.

Sabé turned to the fabric seller to buy more.  It looked like their family was growing.  She would have to have Fe back-date their wedding or give Ben a previous marriage and family.  Sabé kept one ear on Ben, he was sure to put on a good show.

“Children,” Ben started with a beautiful, slow rolling Nubian accent.  “I believe I left explicit instructions for you.”

The children whirled to face him.  Their faces went through a series of complicated emotions before landing on chagrined and hopeful.

“What happened to the credit chips I left you?”  Ben paused and realized that the pre-teen needed some prompting, “Did you lose them?”

“Sorry?”

Ben sighed, “And you couldn’t comm me?”

“I’m really sorry,” the young man repeated.

Ben looked at the food seller.  “Some Nubian fourteen year olds are competent enough to be elected queen.  Mine loses credits and comm numbers and from the looks of it, their luggage as well.  Really?  Your Jedi costumes?  You know your mother hates those rags.”  Ben turned again to the red-headed food seller.  “We’re from the planet with the best textiles in the galaxy and they have to dress up like those strange monks.”

The second food seller lost interest when he realized that it was only family drama and not Jedi intrigue.  Sabé had a feeling that was important.  And intentional on Ben’s part.

The first food seller shook his head sagely, “Unwise in this turbulent times.”

“Agreed.”

Ben addressed the Jedi young again.  “I will not leave you unattended for _years_ after this stunt.  Give me the child and go to your mother.  You two as well,” he ordered the girls following the preteen.

The young man handed off the entirely covered child, turned to Sabé and there were silent tears rolling down his face.  An uninformed observer might believe it was due to shame or in anticipation of punishment.  It took even Sabé a moment to realize they were tears of relief.  He was so overcome by the implied promise of protection that he couldn’t help but to cry.  The girls were slightly more stoic, sniffling back their tears.

“Hold out your arms,” Sabé ordered and started stacking yards of fabric on them.  “I’m going to have to replace everything in your luggage, aren’t I?”

Behind her, she could hear Ben and the food seller continuing their easy conversation.  “Why are you so far from home?”

“Newborn,” Ben nodded towards Sabé.  “Difficult birth.  Premature.  We were on our way back to Naboo and had to stop at the nearest Med Center.”

“I’m glad it ended well.”

“It could have been even worse.  May we buy a meal from you?”

“Certainly, certainly.  I had started the wraps for the children.  I’m glad I’m getting paid now.”  The seller handed Ben several wraps filled with meat and vegetables.

“Thank you, friend, for your generosity,” Ben said as he paid for the food.  “Do you think burning the robes would be overdoing their punishment?”

“This week, it might be just enough.”

Ben and the food seller bowed to each other before Ben rejoined the family.  He handed a wrap to each of the children and kept one for the little one on his shoulder.  The girls clutched at the wraps desperately but did not eat them yet.

“Go ahead,” Ben told them gently.  The children consumed their food.  “Slow down, little ones, or it will hurt later.”  They had been starving, but they still had the self-control to obey Ben.   “Do you have everything you need, dear?” he asked Sabé.

She looked at the pile of fabric that the older child was juggling as he ate.  He was doing much better than any non-Jedi could.  “It’ll be a start.”

“Very well,” said Ben.  “Let’s go home.”

No one spoke during the walk to the ship.  The children were too busy eating.  Ben was too busy looking for trouble. 

As soon as they were safe in the ship, with the door firmly closed and locked, Ben asked, “Assistance, please?”

It turned out the completely robed child was a blue-skinned male twi’lek toddler.  He didn’t fit with any image that the children were trying to portray.  He clutched Ben’s overcoat so tightly, it took both Sabé and the teen to get him to release.  And then Sabé realized that he was biting the coat as well.  “I hope you are not leaving teeth marks on Ben’s new coat,” she told the toddler.  Somewhat embarrassed, the child released the fabric.  “There’s food for you,” she promised him.

“I gave the food seller my text-comm,” Ben told her idly as he gave the toddler the last food wrap.

“Why?” Sabé asked.  After all the work Ben had put into the encryption, he just gave it away?

“His Force presence.”

“What?  Explain, Ben.  You just can’t say things like that and expect me to understand.”

“He felt safe,” the eldest of the children explained to Sabé.

“He’ll feel safe to any other Force users that land on Corellia.  He’s a beacon of good will,” Ben expanded the thought for Sabé benefit.

“Master,” the eldest started.

“There are no Masters,” Ben spat, suddenly angry.  “No padawans, no initiates, no younglings.  Don’t use the terms of the Jedi.  They are no more.”

Sabé waited a bit, then realized the Ben didn’t know that he had to replace the terms in the children’s minds.  “We are a family now.  Ben is your Father, I am your Mother.  You are now sisters and brothers, siblings.  While, you’re adjusting to the terms, it’s perfectly acceptable for you to call him ‘Sir’ and me ‘Sabé.’”  As an aside to Ben, Sabé said, “I think I’ll have Fe set up identification making them from a first marriage.”

“Sir,” the eldest tried again.  “I don’t remember a Knight by the name of Ben.”

Sabé blinked.  “Then how did you know he was safe?”  She wasn’t surprised that they hadn’t recognized him in Naboo clothing, a blaster on his hip and without a beard.  She was still caught by surprise at his appearance at times and she had facilitated it.

All the children were surprised at her ignorance.  “He dropped his shields and we could feel his Force presence.  You aren’t a Jedi, but how…” The pre-teen look to Luke and realized.  “He burns so brightly.”  Then he turned to Ben again.  “Who _are_ you?”

“Now I am Ben Typho.  Your surname is all Typho as well.  What are your first?”

“I’m Karged,” answered the pre-teen.  “This is Remer and Yala,” pointing the young girls in turn.  “And this is Hedese,” pointing at the toddling male twi’lek.

“You did a good job getting all of you this far,” Sabé told Karged.

He didn’t look convinced, but rather ashamed.  “I didn’t stay and fight.”

“All who fought are dead,” Ben told him.

“Sir, please, who were you?” Karged insisted.

Ben shook his head.  “It doesn’t matter.”

“Really, Obi-Wan?” Sabé interrupted.  “Why can’t they know?”

“Kenobi?” Karged asked hopefully.

“Sith Slayer?” Remer, Yala and even young Hedsem chorused, their expressions full of hero worship.  The venom in Ben’s eyes was entirely deserved, Sabé thought.  She had not expected that from Jedi younglings.  Sabé knew that they would not care for the PR bestowed title of Negotiator or his rank of High General, but she was surprised that he had a different one inside the Temple.

One that did not fit since he had not killed the Fallen Anakin nor the Emperor.  

Ben shook his head sharply.  “Obi-Wan Kenobi is dead.  He has to be.  I am Ben Typho.  You are Kargu Typho, Remé Typho and Yala Typho.  Hedese, I don’t know how we’re going to work you into…”

“Typho!  Typho!” the tiny Twi’lek chanted.

“Yes, you are part of this family,” Sabé told him.  “I’m glad we haven’t dismantled the bunks yet.  Your room is just down that hall.”

The children all looked to Ben.  “The ship door is sealed,” he reassured them.  “Our lift-off window is schedule for the morning.  You’ll be able to hear if anyone leaves.  It is safe here.”

The children didn’t quite believe his words.  Ben smiled gently, “Come children, follow me.”  He led the way to the bunks.  Sabé had twenty minutes to feed Luke before the Jedi returned alone.  It was the longest Ben had let Sabé hold the baby without supervision.

Ben immediately reclaimed Luke when he returned.  He fussed, as minimally as a Jedi could fuss, before speaking.  “Sabé,” Ben said.  “If you had not dragged us to Corellia, they –and the food seller- would all be dead right now.  Security would have gunned them down in the marketplace.”

Sabé thought she could hear a ‘thank you’ behind his words.  “How do you know all these… futures?”

“I immersed myself in the Unifying Force before stepping foot on Corellia, as a safety precaution.  A type of Battle Meditation.  It’s not sustainable but I could See risks before they occurred.  I could See what would have happened had we not been here.”  What a liar.  Even as he had chided Sabé to ‘Focus on the present,’ he was not.

“Jedi can do that?”  Now that Ben admitted to the action/immersion/she had no idea how to qualify something like the _Unifying Force_ , Sabé could see that he was significantly more drawn and worn than before.  She needed him to eat more soup as soon as the children were settled.  All of them could probably do with some soup.

“No, we couldn’t, most of us,” Ben changed the verb tense and brought to remembrance that the Jedi as a whole were gone.  Sabé quite possibly had the largest concentrated living group in her ship.   Ben was still explaining, “Some leaned more on the Unifying than other.”

“What’s the other option? Or options?”  Anything to keep him from ruminating on the death of everyone in his life.

“Others are strong in the Living…” he blanked in the way she was starting to recognize as him accessing the Force.  “Oh Force.”  He strode straight to the children and demanded, “Put it back.”

Sabé peeked over Ben’s shoulder to see the middle child, Remé, cuddle a… young, sharp-looking canine.  How had she hidden that from the handmaiden?  And the Jedi?  “But Master…”

“Sir,” Ben corrected absently.

“What is it?” Sabé asked.  “Perhaps a pet…”

“No,” Ben shut down the line of thought before the children could brighten.  “That’s a Corellian slice hound, or commonly known as a razor hound.  I’d be safe.  Remé would be safe but it’d just be as likely to kill Hedese and Luke as look at them.”

“They can be domesticated successfully,” Kargu argued.  He was aiming his pleading looks at Sabé, sensing she was their only chance.  Sabé had only seen full grown razor hounds.  Yes, those were deadly but this one was complacent in Remé’s arms.  They should be able to train it, shouldn’t they?

Ben said, “Historically difficult.”

“But not for one as talented in the Living Force as Remer,” counter Kargu.  “And they are extremely loyal when they choose their master.”

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose.  “I lived through this on every mission with my Master.”  He sighed and looked over his shoulder at the obviously accommodating Sabé.  “Here is your only deal.  You may keep the hound, but no other animal ever.”

“Ever?” Sabé quibbled.  “What if something happened to the hound in the next year?”

“Sabé,” Ben huffed and she considered it a win from the polite and distant ‘my lady.’

Sabé bartered, “she can keep the hound but not ask for another animal for a year.”

“ _None_ of them can ask for another animal for five years.”

“Three years,” Sabé countered.

“You have no idea what you are inviting,” Ben warned ominously.  “Those of the Living Force find, handle and befriend exotic and dangerous creatures like civilians pick flowers from a field. Four years, final offer.  They bring another animal onto this ship and lose the hound, immediately.”

Sabé looked at the suddenly hopeful Jedi younglings.  She didn’t need to distract the Jedi Master from the deaths at the Temple, the children were doing it for her.  They needed the distraction as well.  Kargu still had tear tracks on his face.  “Deal.”

“Find what food it’ll need and a place for it to urinate, Kargu.”

“Yes, Ma- Sir.”

“Jedi with _pets_ ,” Ben muttered as he walked away.  Sabé thought it was a grand idea and considered the hound to be a compatriot in her suddenly larger task of rehabilitating the mental health of the Jedi.

-owk->bt-

Obi-Wan, Ben, was surprised when the text-comm he had given the food seller issued a ping before they lifted off Corellia.  He was less surprised when he saw the message: MY DAUGHTER IS TWO.  SHE LEVITATED HER TOY LAST WEEK, WE TOOK HER TO GET TESTED IMMEDIATELY.

Ben answered, WE DESTROYED THE LIST OF CHILDREN FOUND IN SEARCHES.

The response was quick, AND AT EACH OF THE MED CENTERS?

Ben was chilled to the bone.  Of course, they hadn’t.  The Jedi hadn’t had time to do anything.  They hadn’t had time to _survive_.

The food seller wasn’t waiting for Ben’s platitudes.  CLONE TROOPERS WERE SPOTTED AT THE MED CENTER TODAY.

YOUR ADDRESS, Ben demanded.

The address was only an hour away on foot.  It was easy to believe that Sidious would the demand the Force sensitives from Corellia in exchange for non-interference.  The ruling of Corellia would probably consider that a cheap trade.  Ben would not permit that to happen.

THINK OF A SKETCHY CHARACTER AT THE MARKET TODAY IN CASE ANY ASKS.  YOUR DAUGHTER IS GOING TO VANISH FROM HER BED TONIGHT.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH US BOTH.

-owk->bt-

Obi-Wan woke Sabé at dawn with yet another toddler swaddled in homemade blankets with a stuffed sand panther, this child red-headed.  The vision he had when he had touched her insured he was less regretful of this journey than before.  “Her name is Mara,” Obi-Wan told the handmaiden as he placed the child in her arms.  “Mara Jade Typho.”

-owk->bt-

**Author's Note:**

> Sumi-e -Japanese style ink painting, where every brush stroke is precise and meaningful with the fewest possible lines and tones. It was used first in China by educated scholar gentlemen. No color. Mistakes cannot be hidden or painted over. They must be incorporated into the whole.


End file.
